Catalan has a different status as the community language of Catalonia, the Balearic and Pitius Islands, and the Valencian Country. In Catalonia, the Llei de Normalització Lingüística (Linguistic Normalisation Act) was passed in 1983, and Catalan became the community language and (with Spanish) the official language of the Principality.

Without any doubt, Catalonia is the area where Catalan is in best health. In the other Catalan-speaking areas the situation is more precarious. In the Balearic and Pitius Islands and the Valencian Country, although the Acts passed by their respective Parliaments (1986 and 1983, respectively) state the co-official nature of Catalan and Spanish, the present situation is very precarious mainly because the autonomous governments do not face their responsibilities regarding the linguistic policy that needs to be put into practice.

The use of Catalan in the media is differently distributed in the three Catalan-speaking areas considered. By 1992, in Catalonia 12 percent of daily and weekly newspapers were in Catalan, and since then there has been a significant increase in the number of public media, particularly Catalan Television (TV3) and may regional and local radio stations. In the Balearic and Pitius Islands and the Valencian Country the community language has a symbolic presence.